Fitness Tourism Becomes A New Trend In China

JAKARTA - In recent years, fitness tourism or wellness tourism has become an increasingly popular holiday choice, especially for those who want to take care of their bodies and minds while enjoying the beauty of nature.

Not just relaxing, this trend combines recreation with activities that focus on physical and mental health, such as meditation, spa, traditional medicine, to health studies.

Instead of visiting crowded tourist destinations during the holiday season, such as Labor Day holidays, many travelers now prefer locations that offer peace and recovery.

For example, Li Yanling, a Beijing resident, decided to spend his vacation in Fengcheng's health and fitness zone, located in Jincheng City, Shanxi Province, China. He admitted that he wanted to have a vacation experience that was not tiring and could actually restore energy.

"Conventional tourist attractions are often too crowded. We want a more calming and refreshing journey of the body and mind," he said, as quoted by ANTARA.

Fengcheng itself has grown into a large modern health tourism area, covering an area of more than 60 square kilometers. This area provides various facilities such as fitness resorts, camping locations with residential vehicles (RVs), as well as forest retreats that offer a natural atmosphere and relaxation. According to the manager, this area has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors thanks to the concept of tourism plus health offered.

The local government actively supports the development of this sector through strategic planning and national-level conferences that focus on tourism and fitness integration. Facilities such as hot springs, natural lodging, and traditional Chinese treatment (TCM) are the main attractions.

One example of this integration is the Wolong Bay Resort in Gaoping City, which brings together elements of TCM with the concept of modern fitness. The resort manager, Li Xueye, explained that his party held classes of TCM health and education to improve the value of the tourist experience of the guests.

Not only in Shanxi, various other regions in China have also begun to develop fitness tourism as a seed. The Bama area in the Ethnic Autonomous Region of Zhuang Guangxi is widely known for its residents' healthy lifestyle and its reputation as an area with high life expectancy. Meanwhile, Mount Mogan in Zhejiang Province began to attract tourists with rural lodging with natural nuances and boutique-style lodging.

The growth of this sector is also inseparable from the government's policy push, especially in the framework of China's Healthy 2030 program. The data show that until the first quarter of 2025, more than 3.39 million business entities were involved in the fitness tourism industry, with 173,000 new businesses registered in just the first three months of the year.

Although initially dominated by the middle-aged and elderly, fitness tourism is now also starting to be favored by the younger generation who are aware of the importance of a balanced lifestyle.

This kind of trip makes us feel really fresh again. We definitely want to do it again in the future," said Li Yanling.